Drive and control farm equipment to till soil and to plant, cultivate, and harvest crops. May perform tasks, such as crop baling or hay bucking. May operate stationary equipment to perform post-harvest tasks, such as husking, shelling, threshing, and ginning.

Tasks

Walk beside or ride on planting machines while inserting plants in planter mechanisms at specified intervals.

Position boxes or attach bags at discharge ends of machinery to catch products, removing and closing full containers.

Adjust, repair, and service farm machinery and notify supervisors when machinery malfunctions.

Direct and monitor the activities of work crews engaged in planting, weeding, or harvesting activities.

Guide products on conveyors to regulate flow through machines, and to discard diseased or rotten products.

Irrigate soil, using portable pipes or ditch systems, and maintain ditches or pipes and pumps.

Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers.

Weigh crop-filled containers, and record weights and other identifying information.

Attach farm implements such as plows, discs, sprayers, or harvesters to tractors, using bolts and hand tools.

Drive trucks to haul crops, supplies, tools, or farm workers.

Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers.

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Education, Training, Experience

Education - These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

Training - Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Experience - Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Knowledge

Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills

Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.